This invention is directed to an apparatus for harvesting wave energy wherein a float means floating on the surface of the water so as to be acted upon by waves on said surface of said water is connected by a connecting means to a tube means. The tube means included a turbine means located in its interior with the tube means sufficiently displaced by the connecting means below said float means so as to be located at a water depth which is essentially below the depth wherein there is any vertical movement associated with waves on the surface of said water. Upward and downward movement of said float means caused by waves moving across said surface of said water is transferred by said connecting means to said tube means to raise and lower said turbine means in said water at said depth to cause rotation of said turbine means by said raising and lowering of said turbine means. The rotation of said turbine means is then transferred by said connecting means to an energy harvesting means located on said float means.
With the realization that petroleum, coal and other energy resources are of a finite nature, alternate energy sources recently have assumed an important role. Ultimately, all of the energy sources on the earth find their source from the sun.
While a certain amount of the energy received by the earth from the sun can be harvested in the way of bio-mass and the like. Because the majority of the planet earth is covered by water the majority of the energy reaching the earth from the sun is absorbed by the ocean. As a direct result of the energy absorbed by the ocean large currents within the oceans are generated. Furthermore, energy is transferred from the oceans to the atmosphere to generate weather phenomena within the atmosphere. A portion of the heat energy transferred from the oceans to the atmosphere to form winds is then retransferred back to the oceans in the way of wind formed waves.
Given the large surface area of the earths oceans the amount of energy which the ocean waves possess is phenomenal. Many proposals have been made for harvesting this wave energy. Further, other proposals have been made for harvesting the great amount of energies stored within the current.
For the most part, the proposals set forth for harvesting wave energy have utilized floats and the like which are connected to tethers or other fixed structures attached either to solid land masses or the ocean bottom with the motion of the float with respect to the tether driving some sort of energy harvesting apparatus such as a generator or the like. These apparatuses have sought to harness either the rocking motions of the waves as the individual troughs and peaks of the waves pass a certain point or the vertical up and down movement of the waves as individual troughs and peaks pass a certain point.
With respect to harnessing of the oceans currents proposals have been made to utilize large ducted turbines of dimensions up to hundreds of feet in diameter. These turbines would be vertically oriented in the current with their bottoms tethered to the ocean bottom and their tops to suitable floats, ships or the like.
Notwithstanding, the large potential of energy available in the oceans waves only limited success has been achieved in harvesting this energy. While waves at one time or the other can be found on every point on the surface of the earths oceans, currents generally follow definite patterns. Unfortunately, some of the oceans greatest and most predictable currents, such as the Gulf Stream and the like, are located far out to sea and thus any attempt to harvest the same would require phenomenal problems of transmission of the harvested energy to suitable land-based stations for the distribution of the same. It is known that the vertical movement of waves on the surface of the water extends downwardly for about two and a half times the length of the individual waves. Below this point there is little vertical movement of the water with respect to passage of the waves across it.